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Part Five: The Magic
Lamp Theater & Sinbad's Seven Voyages (continued)
We pass under
an arched bridge and are introduced to Sinbad himself.
Our Hero is proudly standing
on the bow of his ship, telling us the first of many tales. He speaks
all in Japanese, though anyone familiar with the stories of Sinbad
should understand most of what is going on.
There are many, many
animatronic figures used throughout this attraction. However they are
not full scale, life-sized figures like those found on Pirates, they are
also not the simplistic, barely articulated dolls found on Small World.
Rather they split the difference, being comical in proportion and
design, yet extremely well articulated and fluid in movement.
These figures have a very
wide range of movement. Think of the witch from the Great Movie Ride at
Disney MGM Studios, most of these figures move that smoothly and that
quickly. In fact some have an even greater range of movement. As a net
result, this is not a stiff Small World like experience at all.
On the down side the
environments are simple and do not attempt to create a fully immersive
experience. If you look up you will likely see a ceiling painted black.
The designers have not only made no attempt to hide the edges of the
backdrops, they have gone as far as to decorate them! They are going for
a look not unlike illustrations in a children's book which have come to
fluid life.
In a book you can plainly see
the edges of the page or the borders of the illustration, likewise on
Sinbad’s Seven Voyages you can see where the fantasy ends and reality
begins. This came as a bit of a disappointment to me, I much prefer a
fully themed environment that can really envelope you in it’s space.
After meeting
Sinbad we pass through a series of sets depicting market places,
merchants and belly dancers.
Soon we pass into a cave and
the bright colors disappear. Here it is raining and the sirens of the
sea beckon us to join them. Lightning flashes, thunder clashes and the
high pitched sing song of the sirens echoes through our ears.
We again see Sinbad, this
time in peril as he struggles to keep his cargo from sinking with his
smashed boat. The score is a wonderfully theatrical piece and sets the
tone perfectly. This is yet another example of the near perfect mix of
music found throughout the park.
Soon
we pass a series of giant eggs. Some eggs are hatching as huge
birds pop through.
From above we see the mother
bird, angry at Sinbad’s crew she has a sailor in her grasp she shrieks
in anger as we pass under her massive wingspan.
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